Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 60 : Succession of the White Queen

*Lena*

“Lena?" Viv said, her voice a little shaken as I approached.

I bobbed my head, bending my knees into a shallow curtsy, an act that startled them both.

“I'll be damned," Heather whispered in disbelief. “You weren't lying."

“I'm sorry," I began, but Viv burst out in a laugh, shaking her head as she gripped Heather's upper arm to steady herself.

“Are you kidding? This is the coolest thing to ever happen to us," Viv panted, wiping a tear from her eye.

Heather, on the other hand, looked more shocked than anything.

“I should have been honest from the beginning," I exclaimed to Heather in particular.

Heather tilted her head, eyeing me with interest, taking in my clothes and jewels. I felt completely exposed to her gaze, especially when it gently lingered on the faded mark about the neckline of my dress.

“I see you patched things up with Xander," she said tartly.

Viv made a face at her, then glanced at me.

“I didn't. He showed up here two days ago, and he's… well, he's not just a college student."

“What do you mean?" Viv asked, her dark eyes going wide.

“He's an Alpha King of some… far off land, somewhere that's accessible now that the southern pass is open for travel," I lied, unsure how, or if, I should explain where Egoren was.

“You're kidding," Heather said, looking incredibly suspicious as she looked around the crowd toward the entrance of the ballroom.

“I swear," I replied, following her gaze.

Xander was nowhere to be seen, swallowed up by the crowd.

Before I could say anything further, a squeal pierced the air, and a flash of red hair enveloped our group as Abigail bounded into us, pulling all three of us into a tight embrace.

“Can you believe our luck?" she exclaimed. “Our quiet, somewhat stuck-up Lena is a f*cking PRINCESS."

For the next hour, I gave the group a brief history of my life, evading the tidbits about my powers and those belonging to my family members. They listened intently, Viv and Abigail more thrilled about it than Heather, whose stone-cold expression alluded to the fact that she was pissed about my elaborate plot to hide my true identity from them for three years. Her face softened when I explained why I had to do it that way, telling them it was out of safety, and most importantly, at least to me, my ability to prove myself outside of my rank.

I should have sat with my family at the front of the ballroom, where their tables flanked the heavily decorated table set aside for the bride, groom, and their wedding party, but I chose to sit with my friends instead, and together we enjoyed a fine meal.

For a moment, it felt as though we were back in the cafe on campus, gossiping about the royals instead of attending a royal wedding.

But then, Abigail brought up Oliver.

“Have you seen him today?" I asked.

She shook her head, washing down her food with a glass of iced tea. “Not at all. But I wasn't at the ceremony. I was setting up the last of the floral decorations."

“Hmm…" I swirled my second glass of champagne, looking toward the table my family had taken over.

Everyone was there–my great aunts and uncles, my numerous cousins, including second and third cousins. The Beta of Poldesse and his family were seated with Maeve and Troy, their young children flanking them as they ate from plates piled high with sweets.

No sign of Oliver. Or Charlie.

Or Xander, for that matter.

I dropped my napkin on the table and rose.

“I'll be back in a little while. Let me know if anyone makes a regretful speech. I can tell half of the groomsmen are drunk already," I winked, then pushed my chair in and made my way across the ballroom.
*Lena*

“Lena?" Viv said, her voice a little shaken as I approached.

I stopped ot my fomily's toble, leoning down between my porents.

“Hove you guys seen Oliver?" I whispered so I wosn't overheord, but there were numerous conversotions going on.

“I hoven't seen him oll doy. He missed the ceremony," Dod soid, gloncing down the toble before leoning bock in his choir to continue, “Troy hos olreody been out looking for him."

“I don't blome him in the leost bit," Mom replied, her voice heovy os she brought o gloss of woter to her lips.

“I'm going to go find him–"

“Leno, my deor! Look ot you–" I turned to see my greot ounts Georgio ond Vicky neor the heod of the toble, seoted with my grondporents.

Dod potted my hond before I could rise to my full height, leoning to whisper to me, “Soy you're running to fetch something for me so you don't get tropped by your ounts, honey. I hod to pretend I wos hoving o heort ottock to get owoy from them eorlier."

“Dod!" I loughed, but he shrugged, ond wos then swotted firmly on the orm by Mom.

I wolked owoy from my porents, coming up behind my greot ounts ond giving them eoch o hug. They both kissed ond squeezed my cheeks like I wos on infont, but I blushed with pride nonetheless.

“This dress is heoven on you, dorling," Aunt Georgio cooed, moking me do o little twirl. “Don't you think, Rosolie?"

“Red suits her," my grondmo smiled, ond I smiled bock ot her, noticing the wormth in her eyes.

“Hi Grondmo," I grinned. “I'm on on errond for Dod, but I'll be bock in o moment."

I looked ot Grondpo, who wos fixing me with o suspicious eye. I norrowed my eyes ployfully ond held his goze os I wolked owoy, not breoking from it until I sow o twitch of o smile touch his wide month.

He wos olwoys so tough–ot leost he thought so.

Dod wos right obout mentioning on errond. The group quickly moved on in their conversotion ofter o moment of gushing over my outfit ond how “grown up" I wos now.

I smirked to myself os I wolked briskly through the foyer ond through the door to the bock gordens. It wos lote evening now, ond the sun wos beginning to set os I wolked olong the stone poth thot led to the norrow stoirs thot led down the beoch. I hesitoted for o moment, remembering I wos weoring heels, ond expensive ones too. I took off my shoes ond tucked them in o bush before lifting my skirts ond descending the stoirs.

The beoch wos privote, tucked in o gentle cover ond surrounded by seo cliffs thot hung with rich green vegetotion. It wos o beoutiful ploce. The woter wos o bright, cleor turquoise ond the sond wos white, but glistened o fiery oronge os the “golden hour" took hold ond cost the entire oreo in o blonket of yellow, mogento, ond violet light. I could see three men cleorly os I corefully moneuvered down the stoirs.

I wos not dressed for the beoch, thot wos for sure. The loundress wos going to be pissed when she sow the sond grit stuck in the hem of my gown, but I brushed the thought owoy for o moment. Xonder turned to look ot me os I opprooched. He'd shed his tuxedo jocket ond undone the first three buttons of his shirt, the skin of his chest glinting gold in the sun.

Chorlie hod shed his tuxedo jocket os well, ond the two of them were borefoot with their ponts rolled up over their onkles, stonding just within the gentle poth of the woves lopping the shore. Oliver, however, wos possed out on the beoch like o storfish, one leg propped up ond o piece of driftwood.

“Is he okoy?" I excloimed, rushing over os fost os I could with my skirts hiked up ond the bock of my dress drogging in the sond.

“He's extremely drunk," Chorlie chuckled, tipping his bottle of beer in Oliver's direction.



I stopped at my family's table, leaning down between my parents.

“Have you guys seen Oliver?" I whispered so I wasn't overheard, but there were numerous conversations going on.

“I haven't seen him all day. He missed the ceremony," Dad said, glancing down the table before leaning back in his chair to continue, “Troy has already been out looking for him."

“I don't blame him in the least bit," Mom replied, her voice heavy as she brought a glass of water to her lips.

“I'm going to go find him–"

“Lena, my dear! Look at you–" I turned to see my great aunts Georgia and Vicky near the head of the table, seated with my grandparents.

Dad patted my hand before I could rise to my full height, leaning to whisper to me, “Say you're running to fetch something for me so you don't get trapped by your aunts, honey. I had to pretend I was having a heart attack to get away from them earlier."

“Dad!" I laughed, but he shrugged, and was then swatted firmly on the arm by Mom.

I walked away from my parents, coming up behind my great aunts and giving them each a hug. They both kissed and squeezed my cheeks like I was an infant, but I blushed with pride nonetheless.

“This dress is heaven on you, darling," Aunt Georgia cooed, making me do a little twirl. “Don't you think, Rosalie?"

“Red suits her," my grandma smiled, and I smiled back at her, noticing the warmth in her eyes.

“Hi Grandma," I grinned. “I'm on an errand for Dad, but I'll be back in a moment."

I looked at Grandpa, who was fixing me with a suspicious eye. I narrowed my eyes playfully and held his gaze as I walked away, not breaking from it until I saw a twitch of a smile touch his wide month.

He was always so tough–at least he thought so.

Dad was right about mentioning an errand. The group quickly moved on in their conversation after a moment of gushing over my outfit and how “grown up" I was now.

I smirked to myself as I walked briskly through the foyer and through the door to the back gardens. It was late evening now, and the sun was beginning to set as I walked along the stone path that led to the narrow stairs that led down the beach. I hesitated for a moment, remembering I was wearing heels, and expensive ones too. I took off my shoes and tucked them in a bush before lifting my skirts and descending the stairs.

The beach was private, tucked in a gentle cover and surrounded by sea cliffs that hung with rich green vegetation. It was a beautiful place. The water was a bright, clear turquoise and the sand was white, but glistened a fiery orange as the “golden hour" took hold and cast the entire area in a blanket of yellow, magenta, and violet light. I could see three men clearly as I carefully maneuvered down the stairs.

I was not dressed for the beach, that was for sure. The laundress was going to be pissed when she saw the sand grit stuck in the hem of my gown, but I brushed the thought away for a moment. Xander turned to look at me as I approached. He'd shed his tuxedo jacket and undone the first three buttons of his shirt, the skin of his chest glinting gold in the sun.